What Will Be Will Be
by MurdocsAngel
Summary: Our team crash lands on a planet where strange things are afoot...(Leman from "That's Not a Turkey" featured)
1. 1

**Disclaimer: Stargate: Atlantis and it's characters do not belong to me.  
  
Summary: Our team crash lands on a planet where strange things are afoot...  
  
Warning: Character injury and angst  
Rating: PG-13  
Pairing: Eventual McWeir with some Sheyla thrown in for good measure  
  
A/N: Okay, this is my first 'darker' story for Atlantis. I don't really know how good it's going to be...but I'm trying. If you don't like it, I'll take it down.  
  


What Will Be Will Be

**

"Head over there," Doctor Rodney McKay ordered suddenly from his position behind the pilot's seat, pointing at the spot on the map, "I'm showing a significant power surge in that direction." 

They had been circling the planet MP5-442 for the past hour looking for the rogue energy source. It would appear in a burst, they would get closer to it, and then it would disapear. Needless to say, the other members of the team were not happy campers. 

"McKay," Major John Sheppard said, proud that his voice was still calmed, even through clenched teeth, "This is the last pass. If it goes this time...we're heading back to the Stargate." 

Teyla and Lieutenant Ford both sighed with relief, but didn't say anything when the physicist gave them a withering glare. John smirked, but didn't say anything more either as he deftly flew the Jumper towards the area McKay had pointed out. His smirk slowly faded however, when he checked the map. They were even further from the 'gate than the last time the energy spike had occurred. It was almost as if something were...leading them on. Like a fish going after a worm on a hook. 

The energy readout remained the same, and McKay began rambling on excitedly about all the possibilities it might afford them. John was thinking of possibilities too, only none of them were as benign as McKay's theories. If it was what he thought it was, then they were in trouble. 

"Okay, we're heading back," he told them suddenly, "I don't like..." 

He was interrupted as the ship was rocketted by something hitting it from below. "Damn it! That's what I thought. It's some kind of lure, and we've fallen for it." 

He concentrated on getting the ship turned around, on getting them out of there, but another shot and the controls went offline, leaving him helpless except to try and guide the Jumper into as soft a landing as possible considering the circumstances. Unfortunately, the touchdown was nowhere near as smooth as he would have liked, and he could feel the ship coming apart as it crashed and skidded across the ground. 

John braced himself as he was thrown forward into the panel in front of him, but only suceeded in breaking his arm. He cried out as the bones snapped, then bit his lip to keep the rest back in, cradling the arm with his good one. Debris fell all around him, thankfully missing him by inches, and the control panel sparked and fizzed, but didn't catch on fire. 

Finally, the ship slid to a halt, and John, still cradling his arm, glanced around to see if his team was all right. Teyla looked bruised and battered, but okay. She was busy pulling debris off Ford, who had a nasty gash on his forehead. And McKay...was sitting in the same position he had been before the crash, perfectly fine, though his face was a gastly pale color. 

John shook his head slightly and had to grin. "Everyone okay?" 

"I am well," Teyla said softly, "But Lieutenant Ford requires immediate medical attention. I cannot get to the firs aid kit." 

John's grin faded and he gazed at the younger man in concern. The gash was bleeding heavily, and it was possible the lieutenant could have a concussion. It was going to be slow going trying to get to the 'gate from here, with two bad injuries. As it was, it would take at least two weeks to walk there, and that was with stopping for a few hours a night for rest. 

"I'm fine," Ford protested, "A little dizzy right now, but nothing too serious." 

"Think you can walk out of here?" 

"Yes sir," Ford immediately agreed. 

"How about you, McKay?" John asked, "McKay? Hey! Wake up now, no time for daydreaming." 

The scientist was still gazing off into nothingness, his face even paler. This time though, his lips were moving, as though he were talking to someone, or something. John frowned and, ignoring the pain the movement caused his arm, reached over the seat and lightly tapped McKay's face with his good hand. 

Rodney shook his head and blinked rapidly before his eyes returned to focus on the people in the Jumper. "What? What's going...did we crash?" 

John traded a look with Teyla before turning back to McKay. "Yes," he answered, "Are you hurt?" 

McKay frowned and gave John a puzzled glance. "Hurt? No, but I thought I...I mean they said that..." He shook his head again. "No, I'm fine. No thanks to your fancy flying, that is. What are you trying to do, get us killed or something?" 

But his words and tone were only half-hearted, as though he were trying to cover up what he'd been saying before. John traded another look with Teyla. "McKay, who are 'they'?" If his theories were correct, then they were in big trouble. 

"I don't know. I just...heard voices is all. Look, it must have been the trauma of realizing I might be dying soon, nothing to get all worked up about." 

"And if it isn't? Just the trauma of your hypochondria?" John shook his head, "Let's get started. Teyla, McKay, gather up whatever supplies you can get your hands on. We've got a long hike ahead of us." 

"We're going to _walk_?" McKay sounded much more like himself now, "But that's...it's way too far!" 

"McKay, if I'm right, then there is something out there that wanted us shot down here. I want to be as far away from this site as possible before they come looking. And in a defendable position." John winced as the slight movement from his turning to face McKay more fully jarred his broken arm. 

Oh yeah. It was definitely going to be a _long_ walk. 


	2. 2

Elizabeth Weir paced in the 'gate room. It had been nearly twenty-four hours since AT-1 had reported in, and she was concerned. More than concerned, she was almost in a panic. Why was it always _them_ that seemed to get into all the trouble? None of the other teams seemed to attract danger like Sheppard and his team. 

She sighed and placed her elbows on the nearest console, resting her head in her hands as she gazed at the still inactive 'gate, willing it to come to life, willing them to come home safely. But it remained silent, and Peter Grodin gave her a sympathetic look. She straightened up. 

"Dial it up again, Peter," she ordered firmly, "Maybe there's some kind of interference. Major Sheppard did say they were tracking the energy source across a mountain range." She doubted that would make any difference, but wanted to check anyway. 

The chevrons lit and the gate spun to life, the event horizon billowing outward and then collapsing back in on itself. 

"Major Sheppard, if you can hear me, please report." The 'gate room waited with held breath, but only silence met their hopeful gazes. "Okay, Peter, shut it down," Elizabeth ordered wearily. "I suppose we'll just have to wait for them to contact us." 

_Please be safe_ she sent mentally. 

-------------

Rodney grimmaced as they walked through the heavily wooded forest, his feet somehow unerringly finding every root, every large stone and even a small woodland creature. It was starting to become annoying. He had fallen so many times, he had to be at least as bruised as Teyla now, if not as injured as Sheppard and Ford. 

Rodney shivered slightly as he remembered the crash. Except that he didn't remember it. He had been lost in some kind of vision, a vision of a beautiful city with strange people whose eyes glowed silver. They were warriors, protectors of the humans who lived on the planet. And they wanted him. 

Rodney shook his head to clear it of such thoughts. Honestly. He really shouldn't have brought those Robert Jordon books along, they filled his head with such nonsense. So much so, he was having difficulty concentrating on where he was walking and on his companions. 

They had spent the night before beneath a tall tree that resembled an oak, except that the leaves were much broader. Teyla had taken the first watch, and Sheppard the second, both deciding that Rodney and Ford wouldn't be able to. Rodney would have been insulted had he been paying more attention to them, and not to the voice that kept calling to him. 

He fell for the hundredth time that day. Grumbling, he pulled himself to his feet and glared at the offending object that had tripped him. Then he blinked. It was a large cat-like creature with two horns protruding from its skull and silver eyes that glinted with intelligence. Rodney stared at it in fascination. 

_Come with me, child,_ a warm voice ordered firmly in his mind, _you are our chosen._

Rodney smiled slightly. Chosen. That meant that...He shook his head firmly. No. This was not happening. He was _not_ having a mental conversation with a giant cat. "I think I need to have my head checked." 

"McKay? Stand back," Sheppard suddenly ordered. 

Rodney glanced over to see the Major with his gun pointed at the creature, his face pale with the effort it cost him, and probably because it was killing his arm. He turned back to the spot where the cat had been and blinked. It was gone. 

"You saw it too, right?" Rodney asked desparately. 

"Yeah," John agreed, giving him a funny look, "I did. There's something very strange going on here." 

Rodney nodded. Oh yes. Very strange. 

---------------

John glanced back at McKay, who kept looking behind him at the spot where that creature had been. The scientist was muttering under his breath and shaking his head. He was also tripping over everything in sight, John noticed in concern. What the hell was going on here? 

Ford at least seemed to be holding up better than he'd thought he would. He was holding up better than John himself, whose arm was throbbing with each heartbeat and with each step he took. Despite the splint and quick cleaning they'd given it, he was fairly certain the spot where the bones had protruded was going to become infected. 

And then there was Teyla, who was giving them all concerned looks from her position in front. John figured he wouldn't be able to just tell her he was 'fine' one more time before she called a rest. And he wouldn't try to protest. He knew when to quit, and besides. They were far enough away from the crash site now. 

Even if it did seem as though whatever had caused the crash was following them, if the way McKay was acting was anything to go by. 

"There is a village up ahead," Teyla suddenly called out, "Not very far." 

Not very far turned out to be rather close indeed. John looked up and stared at the small huts that had suddenly appeared as they topped the hill he hadn't even been aware of climbling. Damn, he must be more out of it than he thought. 

Villagers came pouring out to meet them, and John winced. In his state, there was little he could do to protect his team against a possible attack, but the people seemed to be nice enough. They led each of them away, against John's protest, and he found himself being pushed into a building and onto a bed of sorts. He lost consciousness soon after. 

When he awoke, it was night outside again, and his head was clearer. He yawned and stretched, before wincing and clutching his arm. It was in a sling of a material he had never seen before and wrapped in a plastor-like cast, and while moving it still hurt, it was nowhere near as painful as it had been. Obviously these people were more advanced than their dwellings showed. 

He cursed suddenly. Where was the rest of his team? He jumped up off the little bed and ran outside into the night air. Teyla and Ford met him on the way. 

"They've got an incredible healing ability," Ford murmured softly, "but I don't know how they did it. I was unconscious until just now, and when I woke up, I didn't feel dizzy anymore." The lieutenant only had a small scar on his forehead to show that he had indeed been injured. 

"Could they be Ancients?" John asked, remembering something Doctor Beckett had told him, then he frowned. "Where's McKay?" 

Ford shrugged, "We were just looking for him when you showed up. That was the last place to check." The young man frowned also then. "And if you came from there, then I'm guessing he wasn't with you." 

John nodded. "Right. Okay. Here's what we're going to...what the hell was that?" 

A strange, unearthly howling drifted on the light winds to their ears. It sounded like a cross between a cat having its tail stepped on and a man screaming. John felt a shiver run down his spine. 

"Let's go." 


	3. 3

_His whole body felt like it was on fire, as he fled from the pain and from the smells that assualted his suddenly sensitive nasal cavity. And from the __noise_. Sounds bombarded his ears, banging through his skull and making his head ache worse than the rest of him put together. 

He pressed his hands to his ears, hoping they'd afford some protection from the attack, but found he couldn't for some reason. He was using them to run. Panic mounted higher then and he screeched to a halt, breathing hard and gazing around him at all the tiny movements his eyes were picking up. There was a mouse-thing there, and lizard over there... 

Crying out, in both pain and fear, he curled up on the ground in a little ball, trembling. Soon, the sounds and the smells faded, though the pain in his body intensified before a blissful darkness claimed his consciousness. 

------------------

John found his weapons and gear easily enough. Either the people of this village didn't know what they were, or didn't think they'd be a threat. Neither scenario particularly appealed to him at the moment. He stalked out of the little hut and directed Ford and Teyla to follow him in the direction they'd heard the scream. 

If the acerbic physicist were injured or worse, it would be his fault. He should have insisted on turning back in the Jumper the moment he realized the energy field was some kind of lure. But right now that sort of thinking wasn't going to help. He needed to get to McKay first, then he could practice self-recrimination. 

The forest was much darker, and therefore harder to navigate, at night, even with the night vision goggles and flashlights. Teyla seemed to have the easiest time of it, but then the Athosian was used to this. She had lived in a forest all her life. 

"Major!" Ford shouted, "Over here!" The lieutenant had wandered a little ways to the left, and John changed his own direction to go investigate. 

Teyla followed closely behind, and as they came upon the spot Ford was indicating, she gasped. John grimaced and knelt down beside the unconscious scientist, feeling for a pulse. It was there, and surprisingly strong. Relief filled him. McKay had simply fainted again, though there was still the question of why he was without clothing of any sort. 

"Okay, come on," John said, taking his jacket off and draping it around McKay in a sort of makeshift blanket, "Let's get him out of here. No more detours in strange villages." He made a mental note to tell Dr. Weir that this planet was definitely off limits, as he and Ford gently lifted the unconscious form. 

With Teyla guiding them, they made it to a relatively safe spot, just above the village. _We must be entering the mountain range we passed in the Jumper_ John thought. And it didn't look like there would be any easy passage through them as there had been over them. Just great. 

"No!" McKay suddenly cried out, "Too loud! Stop...stop the noise...please..." he trailed off into a whisper as his hands clutched at his ears. 

Teyla was standing over McKay, gently touching his forehead, as though feeling for a fever. "He is very warm," she said after a time, looking up at John in concern, "And his face is very flushed." 

John nodded curtly. "Okay, we can either wait here and hope to be rescued...or we can find some way through those mountains. Either way is probably going to be dangerous, but...we need to get McKay as far away from here as possible." 

He doubted very seriously that the voices McKay had claimed to hear and whatever was going on now was much of a conicidence. 

The bushes outside their small hiding spot rustled, and he and Ford pointed their weapons towards it. Nothing appeared, though the bush still moved every once in a while. Narrowing his eyes, John called out, "Show yourself, we know you're there." 

A slight figure crawled from behind the bush and stood. It was a young woman, one of the villagers who had attended them. She was glaring at them fiercely, with her hands clenched into fists. Then she pointed one trembling hand at McKay. 

"He is mine!" she hissed in fury, her eyes snapping, "I was promised. I was raised and trained for this moment. We thought no more would come that would be compatible. But he was. And he is mine!" 

"That is enough, Mala!" A new voice spoke up from another direction. 

John jerked his weapon towards the man who had appeared as if from nowhere, who hadn't made a sound in his approach. He didn't appear to be much older than the girl, but his eyes gleamed brightly silver in the dark, calling to mind the strange creature McKay had encountered earlier that day. 

"But Fratoh!" the girl, Mala, protested, "They are trying to..." 

"I know girl, but it is not your place to question. He is _not_ yours yet. Not until after the ritual. If they wish to take him to their homeworld, then they may. They will soon bring him back. They will have to." At this Fratoh smiled directly at John, before continuing. "Go then, there is a chamber a few miles distant that will take you to the Stargate. Go home, and when you return, we will be waiting to escort you back here." 

Fratoh turned and disappeared into the darkness, though John was almost certain he saw the gleam of silvery-white coat. 

Mala had been watching him, but now she was giving them all a lethal glare. "Fratoh has spoken, though he isn't even an Elder. But he is a Chosen, so I must obey. And if anything has happened to _him_" she jerked her chin in McKay's direction, "Then I will kill you all." then she sniffed and walked off, making a considerable amount of noise in her departure compared to that of Fratoh. 

John stared at her retreating back until it too disappeared into the darkness before turning to the conscious members of his team. "Well, that was...strange." Strange. This whole experience had been strange. 

"We won't be coming back, will we?" Ford asked uneasily. 

"Of course not," John answered immediately, "But we need to get a move on before these people change their minds." 

His words sparked a flurry of activity, and soon they were on their way to the chamber Fratoh had mentioned. 

It was hidden well within the rockey terrain, and only someone who knew it was there would be able to find it. It was a small aircraft, shaped liked one of the monorail cars at an amusement park back on Earth, and it was of Ancient design. Obviously the people of the planet didn't know what it was, and so called it a chamber. 

John grunted as he and Ford lifted McKay into it, then he waited as Teyla boarded before climbing on himself. As soon as he was in, the doors closed and the machine whirred to life and lifted into the air. The ride, though longer than if they had been in the Jumper, was quiet and peaceful, and was over soon enough. 

"That was cool," Ford remarked as they stood watching it fly back off to the mountains, "I bet McKay would have loved it if he were awake." 

John nodded once, then turned to the DHD and began dialing. The wormhole opened, and he put in his code, then they all stepped through. 


	4. 4

**Wow, I'm really on a roll with this. Maybe because I have it planned out better than most of my other stuff...thanks so much for the reviews I've recieved so far...they're great!**

Elizabeth rushed into the 'gate room as soon as she heard the klaxons go off. She was there when AT-1's signal came through, and felt most of the tension that had been building within her dissipate. It was still there though, as she knew there had to be some reason for them to have been out of contact for so long. 

Images of torture and Wraith attacks filled her mind as it took an agonizingly long five seconds for the flagship team to come through the wormhole. And when they did she was not thrilled to find that she had been at least partially right. 

Teyla stepped through first, then turned to give the John and Aiden a hand as they nearly fell over from the weight of whatever they were carrying between them. Elizabeth stared at the 'gate for a long moment after it disengaged before she realized that Rodney was what the two men were carrying, and not trapped on the planet. 

"Get a medical team to the 'gate room, immediately," she called as she rushed down the steps to meet the travelors. 

As she came closer, she noticed that Rodney was wearing nothing but Sheppard's jacket, which was wrapped around his midriff, and that, though he was unconscious, he was struggling against the two soldiers' grip and crying out with pain. Elizabeth, however, could see no visible reason for his pain, though she cringed inside at the desparation on the man's face, and she glanced at John for clarification. 

"We don't know," the major gritted out as he tried to keep his hold on the flailing scientist, "he...wasn't doing this til...damn he keeps saying...noise. Shut those alarms off!" 

The loud klaxon went blissfully silent, and a few seconds later, Rodney ceased his struggling. Ford wasn't expecting it, and nearly dropped the man in his surprise, but Sheppard, who appeared to have known that would be the reaction all along, was ready for it and steadied the lieutenant. 

"What's going on, here Major?" Elizabeth asked, frowning in concern as she took in Rodney's pale countenance. 

"I'm not real sure, Doc," Sheppard answered. Rodney twitched, and his brow creased into a frown. Sheppard lowered his voice, "It's a long story." 

Rodney twitched again. 

"His ears appear to be sensitive to any sort of sound other than our breathing. He has been doing this the whole way here," Teyla whispered softly. 

"No...it...too much..." Rodney moaned. 

Elizabeth winced and tried to keep her tone as low as possible. "The medical team should be here shortly. Once he's been taken, I want you to get yourselves checked over and then report to the briefing room." 

She glanced quickly at Rodney, but his face had assumed a more relaxed expression. She frowned. 

"That's odd," John muttered, "I wonder if..." his voice trailed off as Rodney's face tighted once more into a grimace of pain, though not as pronounced as before, almost as if he were not as aware of it. 

"Must be how close you are to him," Elizabeth murmured, just as the medical team arrived. 

She didn't stop watching until he was out of sight as they took him to the infirmary. Then she turned to Sheppard who was also watching the departing gurney, and raised an eyebrow. 

"Twenty minutes," John said, "We'll be there in twenty minutes." 

It was about that time that she noticed that his arm was encased in a cast. Guilt washed over her, but she pushed it aside. Rodney's condition had been the more pressing, and she couldn't start second guessing herself now. "Twenty-minutes," she agreed. 

--------------------

Carson muttered to himself as he stared at the patient in front of him, then back at the bloodwork he'd just taken. This was impossible. 

He sighed and layed it aside, bringing his right thumb and forefinger up to pinch the bridge of his nose. 

He had placed thick towels around Rodney's head, to help keep any extraneous noise from reaching the now-sensitive ears of the physicist. That was only one of a plethora of things that shouldn't be possible. 

And the DNA of the man was the last straw. 

It was like nothing he had seen before, in this galaxy or his own. Every scan he took, it changed. From human DNA to something that was very definitely not human. Only that couldn't be possible, shouldn't be possible. And yet he'd run these tests several times, each time coming up with the same results. 

A sound from the bed brought his attention to it, and Carson found himself gaping at the sight. Talk about not possible. 

In the place where Rodney McKay should have been sitting was the strangest looking cat he'd ever seen. It was the size of a lion, and had a thick silvery-white coat, with two horns coming out of its skull. The silver eyes were glazed over, and Carson knew a sick creature when he saw it. Obviously the sensitivety was still present in the transformed state. 

He walked carefully towards it, but stopped when it bared its rather large and intimidating fangs. "Easy now..." the ears lay flat against its head..."I'm just goin' ta..." 

Before he could finish his sentence, the cat who used to be McKay jumped off the bed and tore off out of the infirmary and down a corridor. 

"Holy crap," Carson breathed, before he called an alarm. 

--------

_Pain was still present, but he ignored it now...he had to find that voice...the one that he had heard in his dreams. The one that had made the other noises stop. He paused in the strange hallway to listen and to scent the air. But he didn't hear it, and didn't know her smell. _

Loud sounds were coming his way. They hurt his ears. He ran and ran until he came upon a tiny alcove that was at the end of the hallway and ducked inside to escape the sounds. He caught a scent and looked up warily at the human in the room, baring his fangs in warning. The sounds were coming closer, and it seemed to be safer here. 

"Rodney?" 

The voice was soft, soothing on his jangled nerves and sensitive ears. It was the voice he'd heard! He gave a soft mewling sound and walked over to the human, taking in her scent and buried his head into her stomach, relaxing. The bad sounds couldn't hurt him now... 

Rodney hugged Elizabeth tightly and looked up at her in desparation. 

"What? What's happening to me..." he whispered. 


	5. 5

Mala leaned back against the stone outcropping that she used as her hiding spot as she gazed out at the giant ring around which the six Chosen and their Mates stood guard. They had told her to stay in the village, where she would be safe in case of an attack by the Wraith. She sniffed. The Wraith were just a fairy tale told by the Chosen to keep the villagers in line. 

If they were real, then more people would flock to Felus, searching out the protection the Chosen offered. 

The course rock began digging into her back, and Mala shifted to a more comfortable position as her thoughts wandered. No, the Wraith were not real. But the Chosen's oppression of her people were. They had kept things from their Mates and the other humans, things that would change the very fabric of life on Felus if it were common knowledge. 

Mala knew all about those things; she had snuck into the Temple and seen. She had seen beings that were human, and they had created the Temple _and_ the Chosen. The Chosen were meant to serve humans, not the other way around. 

And when McKay returned, and she had become his Mate through the ritual, then things would change. She would rise up against the Elders, both human and Chosen, and assume leadership of her people. Then, under her command, the rest of the Chosen and their Mates would go forth and conquer other worlds. Perhaps they would even find the city she had seen pictures of in the Temple. The city from which those first humans had come. 

She allowed a lazy smile to come to her lips as her imagination soared with the possibilities. 

-------------

Elizabeth gazed absently at the reports in front of her, her mind not on them, but on what Sheppard, Teyla and Ford had just finished telling happened back on the planet. 

What reason would these people have had to kidnap Rodney? And what had they done to him to make him so sensitive to noises? She was still waiting on Carson's final report, but remembered all to well the disturbing sight of the physicist in the 'gate room. 

She sighed and pushed back from the desk. John had recommended that they not return, ever, to MP5-442. However, Liz realized that if something were seriously wrong with Rodney, they would most likely have to go back. Which is what the natives obviously wanted. But then, why had they let the team return? It didn't make any sense. 

She turned troubled eyes towards the wall, staring off into some far away distance. Every time any of the teams that went exploring off world got into trouble, she always found herself reacting this way. Questioning herself, her leadership skills, her decisions. 

What if she chose the wrong thing? What would happen if, through her own incompetence, someone was injured or killed? What if... 

Her self-doubts were interrupted by the alarm that rang through the base. Shaking her head, she rose to see what the matter was, and was halfway to the door of her office when it opened. 

Elizabeth froze to the spot as a giant white cat slinked quickly through. It caught sight of her and froze too, baring its fangs and growling lowly in its throat. She stared at its glazed eyes and layed back ears and then frowned. Hadn't Sheppard said something about a white cat with two horns that they had encountered on the planet? And then a man with silver eyes? 

Something stirred in her brain, and she almost refused to acknowledge it. But it would be too much of a coincidence, and that was something she didn't believe in anyway. 

"Rodney?" she asked softly, hesitantly. 

The cat stared at her, and the ears twitched slightly. Then it made a glad little mewling sound and bounded over to her, burying its head into her abdomen. She winced as the horns tore through her shirt and scratched the skin, but the intrusion was only momentary. 

As suddenly as the cat had appeared, in its place, with his arms around her middle, was Rodney. A very naked, Rodney, a small part of her mind insisted on noticing. He was looking up at her with a desparation that brought a lump to her throat. 

"What? What's happening to me..." The confused, hurt little voice was so unlike the usual acerbic sarcasm the physicist used, it hurt Elizabeth to hear it. 

"It's all right, Rodney," she told him, placing her hand on his head, "We'll figure it out. Everything's going to be okay." 

Later, in the infirmary, Elizabeth consented to having the scratches looked over by Carson. They had barely broken the skin, but the doctor wouldn't hear any of her protests. 

"We dinna know if tha's wha' did this to Rodney," Carson admonished her, "An' I jus' want ta make certain." 

"I know, Carson," Elizabeth sighed, "But you said there were no signs of anything like it on him." 

"Tha's right, but you have to remember that Major Sheppard and Lieutenant Ford both had injuries that would have taken weeks, if ever, to heal as well as they have, in a matter of hours," Carson insisted, "Besides. It could get infected, even if 'tis a normal wound." 

"All right," Elizabeth said, giving up the protests, "You're too stubborn for me." 

She glanced over at the bed where Rodney was sleeping peacefully, with a full compliment of armed guards surrounding. Their guns held only tranquilizers, but the point was that they were there. What if, during the next transformation his actions weren't so benign? 

And Carson had assured her that there would be a next time, after showing the rather confusing DNA samples he'd taken... 

Elizabeth suddenly found her thoughts drifting as she watched the sleeping scientist, a feeling of peace and well being washing over her. The last thought she had before falling asleep herself, was that it was rather warm in the infirmary. 


	6. 6

**A/N: Sorry it has taken so long to get this up...I sort of lost my inspiration...I know where the story's supposed to go but...it doesn't have any transportation...Then, when I was writing my little Thanksgiving fic, this character jumped out at me, and I realized she was the perfect bridge. You don't have to read my Thanksgivng fic called "That's Not a Turkey", but it might make more sense if you do...**

The wind blew through the trees, making a delightful whistling noise that all the chiclets attempted to copy when they first learned to speak. Leman allowed herself to listen to it for a moment, before she attended to the feeling of wrongness that had settled over her like a cloud. It wasn't the feeling she got when there was impending doom--like when storms ravaged the land--but more of something changing, something that just wasn't quite right. 

_Leman,_ an impatient voice inside her head called, _The Council is meeting. They're going to decide what to do with our humans_. It was Segan, her partner. He was two centuries younger than she was, but never treated her with the respect she deserved as the elder and wiser. 

Leman fluffed her feathers in annoyance and simply chittered at him, not giving him the dignity of a coherent response. 'Our humans' indeed. He hadn't wanted anything to do with them, except to observe. _She_ on the other hand, had spent time in their company, traveling to and from the cit of the Creators to visit her two favorites. Rodney and Elizabeth. 

She had a simple mental bond with the both of them--their minds just not capable of handling anything but that just yet--and loved analyzing the mixed emotions she always sensed from them. Her humans were quite amusing, and she was quite willing to testify that to the council. Every one of them should get one. 

They often ate things that tasted good, but didn't work very well with their body chemistry. Like a fruit that the Creators had made specifically for the Phoenix population to eat during the mating season. It did seem to make the humans want to mate, but only for a brief second or two. Then, they stopped and acted all upset and embarrassed over it. She had felt very bad for Elizabeth and Rodney, but still wondered what the problem was. Didn't humans need to procreate too? 

Thinking of her pets, made her realize that that's what was wrong. Something was happening to them, changing them. Had already changed them. She shivered slightly, and took off in a flurry of feathers, ignoring Segan's panicked calls. 

She was at the city in less time than even she had ever been able to make, and flew easily through an open door, just as a human walked through, making him stumble in surprise. She ignored him though, and followed her senses until she was at the place she knew her humans were at. 

The one called Major Sheppard saw her, and started to step in front of her, but she was too quick for him. She landed and darted around his legs, then fluttered up so that she could see Elizabeth. Her mind was suddenly bombarded with images of things and events that she couldn't quite understand. They were so jumbled and unclear. She did however, understand that it was something shared between them. A common memory. And it didn't belong there, in either one of them. Stupid people, didn't they realize humans couldn't handle this kind of mental strain? 

Changing her perspective a little, she let herself see the images from Elizabeth's point of view, since they weren't quite as strong as Rodney's. They showed some sort of building, then it showed the Wraith--Leman had to fight back her sudden urge to attack...her kind hadn't been made for that--and after that it showed some strange feline creatures attacking and driving the Wraith back, in perfect attack formation. 

Then, the sequence of images started over, still jumbled and confused. Leman realized that perhaps they were made that way so that the humans wouldn't be overloaded with information and had to grudgingly accept that whoever had done this had known what they were doing. However, that did not excuse the fact that they had done it to _her_ humans. 

She ignored the Dr. Beckett's attempts at shooing her away, and the threatening gestures she got from the men who surrounded Rodney, and settled herself at Elizabeth's head, wanting to send out soothing messages, but unable to because something was blocking her attempts. She could see the shared image, but nothing else. She couldn't even tell what they were feeling. 

Giving a sad little chirp, she laid her head down and waited to see what was going on. 

---------------

Rodney stirred restlessly, then slowly opened his eyes. His head ached something awful, worse than any hangover he'd ever had. He closed his eyes again, even the dim lighting of the infirmary hurting them. Wow, what had he done? He vaguely remembered 'gating to some planet, but everything after that was a blur. Had there been some kind of crash? 

He struggled to piece together the puzzle, but his brain refused to aknowledge his attempts and all he ended up with was a worse headache. He groaned and put his hands over his eyes, though he knew that wouldn't help. Where was that damn Scot when you needed him? 

"Help," he muttered raspily, "Can't anyone tell I'm in pain here? What's a guy got to do to get some service, huh?" 

He heard a rustling noise from somewhere nearby, and instantly he was on the alert. It was small, and feathered. Some kind of bird? He sat up, turned towards the sound, ready to pounce if it was a threat. His gaze was met by unfathomable black beady eyes set in a red and gold plumaged face. Rodney blinked, and then settled back on the bed. 

"Don't scare me like that, Leman," he scolded her, but only half-heartedly. The beautifully feathered phoenix was his best friend, aside from Elizabeth, and he'd never do anything to push either one of them away. 

_You were not frightened,_ she answered simply, almost curiously, _And you are now receptive to my mind._

Rodney blinked and then shook his head slightly, as though trying to clear it. "You...just talked to me, didn't you?" 

The bird gave an annoyed little sound and then tilted her head to the side. It was about then that he realized he had been able to smell her from the time he had woken up, and that there was another, familiar scent in the room. He started to look around, to identify it, but Leman's next words gave him pause. 

_I made your guards go to sleep, because I did not like the way they were looking at you when you woke up. They are just humans, but I have learned that humans have more intelligence than the Creators led us to believe, and I do not like to harm sentient beings._

"My guards?" He questioned. She sounded a lot like the way he had read the Asgard acted. "Why would I need guards? What happened?" 

She gave him a mental shrug and then looked back over to a bed that was very near his own. He looked over as well. That was where the scent was strongest at. He could almost, but not quite identify it; it was on the tip of his tongue. He couldn't tell who was beneath the bundle of blankets however, so that didn't help him out any. 

Leman gave a soft little whistle, and then looked up at him sadly. He winced at the sound. It was pleasant enough, but it was so loud..._Something has happened to you, and your mate_ she said softly, _but we will figure it out, and find a way to save you._

"Me and my...I don't have a mate," he protested quickly, ignoring the image of Elizabeth that had suddenly popped up in his mind at the bird's words. 

Leman tilted her head again. _I still do not understand that part of your culture. You humans are odd creatures._

"Yeah well..." 

"What the devil is goin' on here?" Carson interrupted before Rodney could finish his retort. He rather figured Leman knew exactly what he was going to say though, from the way she ruffled her feathers so huffily. 

Then Rodney blinked. The Scot had said that from the door to his office, which was a ways from his bed. He frowned. Leman had said something happened. But what? And what the hell did she mean by mate? 

It was then, that the smell came to him. Only, it wasn't just a single smell. It was a specific mixture of smells that all came together, and that were associated with one person. Elizabeth. He looked back over at the bed, and sure enough, he saw her face, eyes closed as she slept blissfully unaware of what was going on. 

-----------

Carson sat in his office, and rubbed his eyes tiredly. He had been right to check Dr. Weir over. The horns had secreted some kind of substance that had affected her brain. At the moment, he wasn't quite sure how, but he was certain that when she finally woke up from the stupor she'd fallen into, they'd know. 

He rubbed his eyes again, and reached for his coffee mug, only to find it empty. He sighed and rose from his desk, stretching to ease the kinks out of his muscles. Then, he walked out of his office and stopped dead in his tracks. 

Rodney was sitting up on his bed, chatting easily with the damn bird thing he'd made friends with at that fiasco of a Thanksgiving, and his guards lying unconscious around the bed. Carson frowned. Had Rodney done that? Was that why the people who had changed him let him go? To release some kind of virus on the population of another world? 

It really wouldn't surprise him, not after the kind of people they'd met already in the Pegasus galaxy. Children who committed ritual suicide, people who poisoned their own just to keep the Wraith away..not to mention the Genii. 

Not wanting to get too close, just in case, Carson, put his hand on the intercom, leaving it open so that Major Sheppard or anyone else could hear. "What the devil is goin' on here?" 

Rodney blinked and looked over at him. Then he frowned and looked over at the bed where Dr. Weir was still unconscious. His face cleared, and a gentle smile graced his lips before that strange and sudden transformation took place, making the bird squawk in surprise. Carson sighed again and punched the alarm as the cat padded silently over to Weir's bed and then leaped up on top of it, settling himself in at the foot, and then going straight to sleep. 

tbc.... 


	7. 7

Mala mumbled under her breath as she sat as far away from her brothers and the rest of the congregation as she could. Althan, the wizened Elder who was telling them of the evils of the Wraith and how they owed their lives to the Chosen, was getting on in years. Not only did he have to stop often and have someone prompt him with what he was going to say, he would suddenly and inexplicably fall asleep in the middle of a sentence. 

This was the sort of thing they expected the people of Felus to adhere to? Ancient laws and traditions that were so old, they didn't apply any more? No, it was simply the way the Chosen of the Elders kept themselves in charge. By keeping the more novel ideas at bay with stagnation and threats of a fairy tale creature. 

Mala shifted in her seat and looked down at the ground, pretending peity when everyone else bowed their heads to give thanks to the ones who had given them the Chosen for protection. She gritted her teeth in annoyance. The fools didn't even know what they were saying. They had no idea that the Chosen were theirs literally. 

Finally, the ceremony was over. Mala jumped to her feet and was about to rush out, to go back to her lookout so she could see when McKay returned, when she was stopped by Thal. He was Mate to Ether, the eldest of the Chosen. She shivered, but met the strange gaze in that timeless face that the Mates and Chosen shared. 

"You are restless, young Mala," Thal murmured, "That is not good in one who wishes to become Mate. Serenity is needed in order to make the Chosen one feel safe and secure. He will be quite agitated enough without yours to add on top of it. And he may not choose you as his mate." 

"I understand and obey, Master," Mala intoned, already bored with the conversation. How could she not be chosen as mate? The Chosen had to choose. That was it. 

Thal shook his head sadly and placed his hand on her shoulder. "You are very young, my child, and though I may have had many seasons past my own youth, I do know that it will pass." 

"Yes, of course," Mala agreed, starting to feel uncomfortable with his presence. Everyone was staring at her, and she couldn't just leave now with a quick excuse. 

Thal sighed softly, then put his hand on her cheek and turned and left. Mala breathed a sigh of relief before running out and straight towards the spot she knew she could take in order to get to her lookout. Thal and Ether would be immediately put down, she promised herself, the instant she took over. They were behind most of the outdated traditions, and once they were out of the picture, it would pave the way for her own ambitions. 

Now if only McKay would return... 

-------------

Fratoh watched Mala from his own secret look-out, tail twitching in irritation. The girl gave him bad vibes, and he wasn't afraid to voice them, unlike some of the other, younger Chosen. It did not matter that it was wrong to speak out against a potential Mate. In his eyes, he did not see her as such. She was too ambitious, too impatient. 

He wasn't supposed to have allowed McKay to escape, only the others, but he had anyway, in the hopes that there was someone far more suitable than Mala on McKay's own planet. The Chosen could do nothing if a Mate had already been initialized...because there was no way to reverse the process...and no way to choose another Mate even if it were. 

He took the fact that McKay hadn't returned as a very good sign. Although, he was a little concerned that he may have inadvertantly hurt someone in the first few important stages until he found his Mate. Not to mention the training period that would help him to get to know his new self. Still, it was worth the punishment he'd recieved to see Mala thwarted at least for a little while. And he was absolutely certain they'd bring him back. Those people would want an explanation on what was going on. Especially if McKay did find his Mate among them... 

He watched her a little longer, until she disappeared from site and then stood and stretched languidly before transforming. The special cloth that made his robes transformed with him, keeping modesty in tact. He supposed McKay was probably mortified by now...having so many strangers see him in his natural form. Again, it was worth it. 

The strange men had seemed extremely versatile. The one had marched for a long distance with a broken arm, and hadn't complained a bit. Many of the young people of Felus would not have even suffered a broke arm without pitching a fit. 

He made his way down to the small hut where he and his Mate had been estranged to; his punishment for speaking out against a potential Mate. He winced. He hadn't wanted Fana to endure this with him, but knew she would gladly pay the price he did. She thought the same thing. 

"Fratoh, are you causing trouble again?" Fana, amusement and annoyance lacing her tone, "Because I don't want to be shunned again for a very long time." 

"You love it," he retorted, "Because you can have me all to yourself without the others watching." As he spoke he lazily wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. 

A Mate was closer to their Chosen than any other living being, in spirit and physically. However, since the living area of the Chosen was shared by all, the physical was not practiced very much. The Felunians were a modest people, and loved their privacy. 

Which was what made being a Chosen so difficult sometimes...and why Fratoh knew Mala would never make a good Mate. 

"Mmmm..." Fana agreed, "But it would be much better if you were paying attention to me instead of thinking about what's going on. That's what got you in trouble in the first place you know." 

Fratoh smiled in sheepish aknowledgment, as her slight displeasure washed over him. "Yes, love," he murmured, "It's just that..." 

"I happen to agree with you," Fana stated, putting a finger over his lips, "But I would much rather not discuss it just now." 

Fratoh grinned as other, more primal feelings washed over him. It was moments like this when he was very glad of being Chosen. 

--------------

Elizabeth frowned as she was brought out of a deep sleep by a sudden feeling of panic and anger. Threatening growls and shrill whistles rang through the air. She sat up and stared as five men attempted to wrestle a bird to the ground, while a giant white cat tried to knock them aside without injuring them. 

It took her sleep-riddled mind a few seconds to come up with a semi-coherent explanation from half-formed memories. Leman was the bird, a phoenix that Rodney had befriended, and who had also adopted Elizabeth. The cat was...Rodney. She didn't know how she knew that, but somewhere deep inside her she knew. 

But what was she doing in the infirmary? And why was all this happening. Her frown deepened and she cleared her throat. The cat instantly stopped its batting and turned to look at her, silver eyes intent upon her own. She swallowed as a feeling of concern and something else that she refused to identify nearly overtook her in its intensity. It was by far more powerful than anything Leman had sent her. It was almost as though it were a part of her. 

The big cat jumped up onto the bed with her and gently laid its head on her lap, taking care not to gouge her with the horns this time, and began purring loudly. She smiled slighly and absently ran her fingers through the fine, lush fur at his neck, before looking up at the five soldiers questioningly. 

They traded looks with each other, before Sergeant Adams spoke up, "Dr. Beckett called us here because something happened. Well, then he told us never mind that it was all taken care of..." 

"Where is Carson?" She interrupted suddenly, looking around for the doctor. 

"Uh...he's unconscious. Like _his_" he jerked his chin in Rodney's direction, "Guards. Major Sheppard figured it was the bird that did it, and not Dr. McKay and soon after he said, he went unconscious too...so we tried to get the bird out of her by using a smoke bomb. Since everyone was already out of it," he said quickly, "Anyway, we caught it, but then _he_ woke up, and that woke the bird up and then you woke up." 

Elizabeth nodded, feeling oddly calm through all of this. Leman gave an irritated squawk, then fluttered to the bed where she sat regally and began methodically cleaning her feathers. 

"That will be all then, Sergeant...I'm sure Dr. Beckett and Major Sheppard will wake when whatever Leman did to them is lifted. Go on about your business. Go on," she urged, when he hesitated. Then, he shrugged, and motioned for the others to follow him out. 

She eyed the bird after they were gone. "You made it so that they wouldn't see Rodney as a threat, didn't you?" 

Leman paused in her ministrations to give Elizabeth a look out of her beady black eye that said it all. Elizabeth felt a laugh bubbling up in her, a laugh of hysteria. All of this was just way too much for her to handle. 

A cold, wet nose nudged her hand, and that feeling that she didn't want to think about flooded through her again. She smiled as she stared into Kitty Rodney's pretty silver eyes. Everything was going to be just fine....no! No, everything was _not_ going to be just fine! She was acting completely unlike herself! 

The cat jumped down from the bed, and she watched as he carefully stepped around the bodies lying on the floor (ouch, that must be uncomfortable), then jumped up onto the other bed and crawled beneath the covers. A second later, Rodney's familiar face was staring out at her, the blanket covering him up to his chest. 

"Well, this is going to be difficult," he muttered angrily, "I can't tell when I'm going to transform again, until it's fixing to happen and I may not have a blanket or a set of clothes just laying handily by. Do you know what's going on Elizabeth? Because no one else would tell me anything. Well, not that they could with Leman knocking them out left and right but..." 

Elizabeth sighed and shook her head. "No. I don't even know how I got into the infirmary...or why I'm here." 

"Me too," he mused, "I wonder if its connected somehow? If you get the sudden urge to change, just remember to keep something to cover yourself in case you change back." 

"It is a bit too much of a coincidence..." She paused and looked at him searchingly, an idea having occurred to her, "You know more than what you're saying," she accused. 

Rodney opened his mouth to protest, closed it, opened it again and then closed with a snap before sliding his eyes away from hers. He cleared his throat and muttered something about Leman. 

"Leman has something to do with this?" 

"No," he looked back at her in annoyance, "Leman said that we were connected. And somehow, my being able to understand her thought-speak is an idication of the change. You don't seem to be able to understand, because you haven't answered any of her questions." He tilted his head slightly, as though trying to listen to something, then flushed slightly. "But she can hear your thoughts where she couldn't before...and she has no concept of the term 'confidentiallity' by the way." 

Elizabeth blinked and then flushed herself, as she tried to recall exactly what she'd been thinking. "I see..." she muttered. 

Their conversation was put on brief hold as a groan interrupted them. Then Sheppard sat up, clutching his head with his good hand and looking around. "That damn bird," he muttered, "had better be gone before I finish counting to ten. One..." 

"Actually, Major," Elizabeth interjected, "Leman may be able to help us out. But first, do you know anything of what's going on?" 

John was scowling at Leman, who just gave him a haughty look in return. He shrugged at Elizabeth's question. "Uh...besides the obvious?" 

"No, we always have to have the obvious stated for us," Rodney put it, "Yes, besides the obvious! We have no memory of anything that's happened and somehow we uh...uh..." here, the scientist faltered and gave Elizabeth a guilty, nervous look. 

John didn't seem to have noticed. He frowned at them. "You mean, neither one of you can remember? Shit, the doc was right that whatever those horns had in them weren't any good. Are you experiencing any other symptoms, Dr. Weir? Like is the volume of my voice okay?" 

"Now that you mention it, it is a little too loud for my tastes," Rodney said, "So if you could just lower it...oh. Go on Elizabeth." 

Elizabeth turned from giving him a steely glare to shaking her head at John. "No, it sounds normal to me." 

"Anything smell too strongly?" 

"No." 

"Yes, the...fine! I'll just turn over and go to sleep. I know when I'm not wanted. You two just keep on chatting, forgetting that I'm even in the room..." 

"We will," John answered cheerily, "Okay then. What was the point of that stuff then?" 

Elizabeth shook her head. "What stuff?" 

"McKay accidentally scratched you with those horns of his when he was in his kitten form," John said quickly, "Or maybe it wasn't an accident, I don't know. Obviously its affected you, and not just to knock you out for a little bit." 

Elizabeth stared at him, remembering those feelings that hadn't been hers, and yet had been. Like the feelings she was getting now. Was that a part of it? 

tbc.... 


	8. 8

"What do you mean, Doctor?" Elizabeth asked as she stared at Carson. 

John winced slightly at the tone, feeling bad for the woman. Who wanted to be emotionally connected to McKay? He shook his head and focused a little more on the conversation. McKay had once again transformed into the strange cat, and was gazing up at them all with silvery eyes. 

Carson sighed. "Exactly what I told you, Elizabeth," he affirmed, "You and Dr. McKay share some kind of mental bond. It's more of an empathic nature, but a bond it is. In other words, what you feel he feels and vice versa." 

The damn bird fluttered her wings and gave everyone a superior look. Of course, she had been the one to figure it out, before everyone else, but did she have to rub it in everyone's faces? Leman reminded him of McKay _entirely_ too much. 

"Okay," he said, breaking the silence, "so, we go back to the planet and see if we can find a way to reverse the process?" 

Dr. Weir looked up at him, the frown on her face deepening. "Are you certain that's wise, Major? I mean, you did say the natives wanted you to bring him back." 

"And obviously they've found a way of making sure we do," John countered, "Look, I don't like it any more than you, but do you _really_ want to go around feeling what McKay feels?" 

The large white cat let out a low growl that John chose to ignore as he stared their leader down. 

Elizabeth turned away from him, looking down at the sheets before raising her head and nodding once. "All right. I seriously doubt Rodney wants to remain the way he is, and it's rather disconcerting to suddenly feel things that you wouldn't normally." 

"Good. I'll get started making preparations right away...what?" John asked when Carson began shaking his head. 

"Major, despite what you believe, your arm is _still_ broken," Beckett pointed out, "an' I don' think you should be going off world for any missions that may require more than reconaissance." 

John scowled slightly, but knew that he was right. "Fine," he said shortly. 

"We'll do a briefing tomorrow morning," Elizabeth put in, "And we'll figure out who should go in the meantime." 

"Right, for now we're just going to sit around doing things that we wouldn't normally do and worry about transforming into a cat and then back into a naked human," Rodney said, having suddenly transformed back, "In case any of you were wondering, this totally sucks." 

"We weren't," John assured him. 

-------------

Elizabeth shivered as Rodney looked at her. He was across the room, a crowded room, but she could feel his gaze as though he were right there, feel the need that exuded from him in waves. She turned away from where she knew he was at, trying desparately to ignore her own need for him that raced through her bloodstream like wild fire. Carson said something to her, but her brain didn't process the comment as it attempted to keep her sane enough to get out of there. 

She practically ran from the room, heart beating erratically, breath coming in short gasps that left her winded. She stopped and leaned against the wall, resting her head with closed eyes. Even this far, she could still feel him, the fire that flowed through his veins matching her own, meeting it in a rhythm she didn't want to comprehend, didn't want to acknowledge. 

She could blame it on the link that had formed between them, and indeed it was the cause of all this. But if she hadn't been attracted him in the first place, would it have been so...blatant? So hot? So...she shook her head and at a slower pace began walking towards her quarters. 

Awareness of him pressed onto her mind, but she resolutely ignored it. As long as she wasn't in the same room with him, she could ignore it, no matter how...heated she began to feel. 'Like a cat in heat,' her mind supplied ruefully, and she shook her head. The phrase was way too close to the truth for comfort. 

She slipped into her quarters unnoticed, stripping down as quickly as she could before rushing towards the shower. She'd had an aphrodesiac once, and this...thing...was by far more powerful. The cold jets of water didn't serve to cool her ardor, probably because Rodney's was still just as strong in her mind. 


End file.
